Editor's Screen

In 21st century science, less is more

Nanoscience describes our attempts to understand the unique and potentially useful properties that occur on the nanoscale (one billionth of a meter), where the properties of materials become defined by their size and shape as well as their composition. Nanotechnology is the application of this knowledge.

In this issue of Breakthroughs, we highlight Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's work with advanced nanoscale materials. An interview with Paul Burrows, who leads the Laboratory's Nanoscience and Technology Initiative, and Suresh Baskaran, who is in charge of finding new applications for nanoscale materials, illustrates how basic science and the need for technology work together to create materials that can be used to solve real-life problems.

We've also included a few examples of these applications and the science behind them, such as thin films used in lighting and electronic displays, nanoscale materials that absorb radioactive waste and nanoscale biosensors.